Collide
by fernlila
Summary: Clark Kent is just another journalist, trying to make it in the big city. Superman is a hero, who watches from afar, always standing for Truth and Justice. Their common interest: Lois Lane. What happens when these two worlds collide?
1. Chapter 1: Complicated

**Chapter One: Complicated**

She stared at the computer screen, the simple words were spelled across the screen: "Why the World Needs Superman." She rested her fingers gently over the keys of her laptop and paused…

What was she supposed to write? How could she express what she needed to say? She had spent so much of the last five years thinking of all of the reasons why she didn't need him in her life anymore… but now, knowing that he might actually be gone…

The words before her became blurry as the tears formed in her eyes. She blinked and felt hot tears spilling down her face. She tried to call his image back into her mind, tried to remember the last time she had seen him…

_He looked at her with those piercing blue eyes. Eyes that spoke from his heart. They were filled with gratitude and hope… and sadness. Even as she helped him up, she could feel his body trembling – still weak from the Kryptonite running through his veins. She watched him, a wave of worry overtaking her. But he clenched his jaw, silently and looked out the window down at the vast sea below. Without a word, he opened the door hatch._

_"What are you doing?" She asked, though his answer was already clear._

_"I have to go back."_

_And he looked at her with those eyes, pleading with her silently to understand. Asking her to forgive him, for what he was about to do._

_She wanted to grab him, latch her arms around him and pull him down with all of her might just to make him stay. But she did nothing. She could do nothing._

_He took a slight breath and the words were already resting on his lips. She didn't want to hear them, but the deep love in his eyes kept her still._

_"Goodbye, Lois." He said the words tenderly, so quietly that only she could hear. A lump had swelled in her throat and somehow she had forgotten to breathe. The tears had come to her eyes again, hot and wet, making vision difficult._

_And then he was gone. Lost into the sky, shooting upwards into the clouds like a beacon of light…_

Lois blinked and removed her hands from the keyboard, plucking her glasses from her nose in order to wipe her tears. Her fingers were shaking now, and she could feel a swell of emotion rising in her chest. She got up from her chair, wrapping her robe around herself to try to keep herself from shaking. She couldn't do this right now. She couldn't deal with this.

Grabbing the pack of cigarettes from her desk, she let herself out onto the terrace. Fumbling with her lighter, she brought it close to the smoke in her mouth… and paused.

It was ridiculous why she stopped. _He didn't like that she smoked._ It was so stupid. Richard had been asking her to stop for years, and she knew she was setting a bad example for Jason. But the addiction was too strong and the comfort offered by the nicotine was always an excuse for a much-needed break. But she knew that he didn't like it when she smoked. And so she stopped, letting the flame extinguish itself and plucking the cigarette from her mouth.

"Good night!" The sweet sound of her son's voice broke the heavy silence of the night.

Lois whirled around to find Jason standing at his window. _What's he doing still up?__Who's he saying goodnight to?_

She turned again to see who Jason was talking to…

… and stopped.

Before her floated the form of Superman. Her hero. Her savior. Her love. The joy that leapt into her heart made her almost want to shout out. He was alive! All of the regret that had built in her was finally being realized and all that she wanted to tell him was how much she loved him. How much she needed him. How much she _wanted_ him.

He didn't say anything. The expression on his face said it all. There was a deep, tender loving in his eyes. And almost a look of wonder and happiness. She was suddenly aware that she had never seen him so… happy. And a part of her melted away in his gaze – knowing that now he felt complete, because now he had a family. Her family. Their family.

"Will we see you?...around?" The words sounded tentative as they came out of her mouth. She wanted to say so much more, but that was all that could come out.

A touch of amusement danced over his face, and his expression became reassuring. "I'm always around…"

Always so cryptic. She couldn't help but smile a little.

With that, he turned. "Good night, Lois." He started to float up even higher into the atmosphere, his eyes still locked with hers. He held her gaze even as he was beginning to fly away, just long enough for her to see and feel his love. Then, without another word, he was gone – streaking across the sky like a star.

She watched him leave, waiting until he had disappeared into a speck. A part of her wanted to call him back. She wanted to touch him, to feel his arms around her, reassuring her that he was real, that he was alive, that he was there. But instead, she simply watched him go.

Slowly she turned around and started to walk back into the house. She walked past her desk, where her laptop was still open and her article unwritten. She looked at the screen one last time and then peered at her clock. 1:15AM. It was getting late. But she couldn't sleep, the thoughts were still racing through her mind and she need to clear it. The last thing she wanted to do was to go upstairs and get in bed with Richard. No… she needed somewhere where she could think.

* * *

Clark let himself back into the Daily Planet without a sound. It was 1:30AM and everyone had already gone home. This was his favorite time to be at the Planet, surrounded by rows of empty desks and computers – just waiting for their reporters to come back to work. They hummed with anticipating, as if waiting for the morning to come. It was as if they knew that, even though the office was closed, the news wasn't going to stop and they were going to ready.

Picking his way through the lines of office chairs, he found his way to his desk and sat down. He still had not found a place to stay – with all of the hectic events of the past few weeks, he hadn't had a chance yet to find an apartment.

It didn't really matter to him. He didn't really need that much sleep, and he spent most of his nights busy on duty anyways. The Planet served as a home enough for him. At night, he could relax – let down the façade of the shy, geeky farmboy and be himself. Clark Kent. Just another guy, trying to live his life in the big city. He lowered himself wearily into his chair, letting his tired muscles relax.

He had only woken from his Krytonite-induced coma earlier in the evening and he could still feel its effects. His body ached deep down – the impact on his landing had struck him hard to the core and he could feel it in every part of his body. He closed his eyes…

_The pain was almost too much to bear. Every part of his body was screaming and tearing apart. But he didn't let go. He couldn't. The weight of the ugly, cancerous island bore heavily down on his weakening form. He could feel himself slipping, his arms were burning with fatigue and pain and waves of shock were making their way down his back and into his legs._

_He couldn't give up. Everyone was depending on him. _She_ was depending on him. He couldn't let them down. With every last fiber in his being and all the willpower he could muster, he thrust the monstrous Kryptonite-laced mass into space._

_Black spots had started to invade his vision, and he could feel his body tugging at his consciousness and drowning it in darkness. Having given up all of his strength, he could do nothing but surrender to that darkness._

_His eyelids drooped heavily and he could feel himself falling. _I'm dying._ The thought ran through his head, and he wasn't scared. Anything would be better than this torment. He succumbed to the welcome comfort of unconsciousness and let himself plummet to the ground._

_He didn't know how long he was unconscious for. He lost himself to the deepest of slumbers, devoid of everything – devoid of thought, devoid of emotion, devoid of life. He didn't know what had pulled him back from the edge. Even as he felt himself giving in to death he was ripped, almost painfully, back into the world of the living. And then there was just beeping… until he heard her voice._

_"I don't know if you can hear me…" She sounded so small, almost lost. "they say sometimes when people are…" she paused and he could hear the timidness in her voice, nothing like the confident reporter, Lois Lane that he had come to know so well. "that sometimes they can hear you?"_

_He had wanted to wake up, wanted to see her with his eyes. But he had no strength left in his body and all he could do was listen._

_There was a long pause and then he heard her voice again. "I wanted to tell you…" she paused and then leaned in. Even in his depth of unconsciousness, he could feel her lean in closer to her. He could smell her familiar, warm scent. "Jason…Jason's your son." She was whispering now, and there was a tone of almost desperation in her voice, "That's why you have to wake up, Superman. Because… he needs you. I…_I_ need you_._"_

_Her lips were soft and moist as they slowly caressed his, and in her lips he could feel her love. It was a deep, sorrowful love, but love nonetheless… and then, she was gone again._

He opened his eyes again and breathed in deeply, for once enjoying the feeling of oxygen in his lungs. It was her voice, her need, that had pulled him back into consciousness. Knowing that she needed him, and that he had a son… He blinked back unbeckoned tears. He had a son…

For so long he had lived his life so entirely alone. Having no one in his life but his foster parents. He had never really known what it was like to have a family, and to feel the love or joy of being a father. But now, knowing that Jason was his son – it felt like somehow he was more whole, more complete, more real.

The ding of the elevator brought him out of his self-induced trance. He glanced at the clock, 2:00AM. Who was coming to work so late?

He sat up a little straighter in his chair, ignoring his screaming muscles as he felt them tense against any movement. Using his perfect vision, he peered into the lobby to see the form of Lois Lane step out of the elevator.

She walked very slow, seemingly deep in thought. She was already dressed for work, wearing a knee-length brown skirt and a cream collared shirt. The double glass doors squeaked as she stepped into the bullpen.

He waited for a second, reveling in her form under the gentle, yellow glow of the nightshift lights. Her soft, hazelnut hair fell in gentle cascades over her shoulders. Her mismatched blue and brown eyes were cast thoughtfully to the ground and her lips were parted in a slight pout. He would do anything to let her stay in that moment, but he knew that it was not to last.

"L-Lois!" He squeaked, "What are you doing here?"

She seemed startled for a second and her eyes darted around the room to rest on his form. She let out a slight sigh of relief and smirked, "Clark… I didn't expect to see you here."

He grinned sheepishly and ducked his head. "Yeah… uh." He looked down at his hands, "I haven't gotten a chance yet to find a place to stay." He spread his fingers, "things have been kind of hectic, y'know?"

Her mouth dropped slightly, "You mean you've been staying at the Planet all this while? Geez Clark, I knew you were kind of a workaholic, but isn't this taking it a little too far?"

He scratched his head, "Heh… yeah. Well, I guess I'll be looking for a place this week, if things don't get too busy around here."

She laughed.

He paused and then looked timidly at her, "So… what're _you_ doing here?"

She paused, the smile disappearing from her face for a second. "I was having a hard time writing my article… thought maybe I could use a change of scenery. You know, to help with the writer's block."

"Oh," he perked up a little, "anything I could help you with?"

"No." She shook her head, "It's a new editorial piece that I was going to do. Although, at this point, I'm tempted to just scrap the whole thing and start over on something else."

"What's it about?" He asked, pulling up the chair next to him for her to sit in.

She looked at the chair for a second, as if contemplating if she really wanted to have a conversation. Then, with a sigh, she plopped down on it and sat face to face across from him. "Why the World Needs Superman," She looked at him and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know, it's kinda lame."

He blinked. "No… uh… no. It's not. Seems, rather appropriate, I guess." He hastily adjusted his glasses, pushing them higher on his nose with his index finger.

"Yeah…" she stared off towards the other side of the room. "Kind of ironic though." She shrugged.

"So… why aren't you writing it anymore?" He asked quietly.

She brought her gaze back to him, meeting his eyes with her own. "I… can't." She said softly. She took a breath as if to say more and then stopped. Clark raised an eyebrow, afraid to say anything, lest it scare her from speaking. "It's complicated," She laughed to herself, "to say the least."

She got up from her seat and walked towards the window across the way. "Do you know what it's like to love someone, Clark?"

He cautiously got up and walked to stand next to her at the window. He looked at her and then out at the midnight sky. He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off as she continued to speak – seemingly oblivious to his side of the conversation.

"I mean, to really love someone." She pursed her lips in thought, "In a way that resonates all the way to your core… so that they become a part of you, and you become a part of them. And no matter what happens, no matter how much time has passed, or how much distance is between you… in the face of everything, you can never stop loving them?"

He blinked, shifting his eyes from the window to the small form next to him. Lois stood in a trance-like state, her gaze staring blankly out the window. For that second, she looked so small. So fragile. The emotions that swelled up in his chest threatened to release themselves and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and feel her warmth.

He licked his lips to moisten them and then replied quietly, "Do you love him?"

She looked up sharply at him, breaking out of her trance. It was as if she had suddenly remembered that he was there, and he could see her protective wall of confidence come back up again. "Who?"

"uh…" He shifted uncomfortably, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Superman…?"

"No." She replied quickly.

"No?"

"I mean… Yes." She seemed flustered.

"Yes."

"No!" She shook her head, stumbling over her words. "I mean…" She let out a frustrated sigh, "It's… not that simple, Clark."

She peered up at him. "I guess it's hard for you to understand –the whole relationship thing." Then, as if suddenly realizing that she had insulted him, she added. "I mean, you never talk about it."

He smiled meekly, "Yeah… guess I'm still waiting for that perfect girl to come along."

She laughed lightheartedly, reaching up to pat him on the top of the head with an almost child-like affection. "Good old Clark… an old-fashioned gentleman, huh?" She winked, "Well, I wish you luck."

He played along, giving her an awkward shrug and a lopsided grin, glad to have the tension broken.

"Well, I better get working. I'm sure Perry expects something on his desk by 9am, so if I'm not going to do this editorial, I'm going to have to whip up something else fast." She was already walking away even as she spoke to him.

"OK." He answered making his way back to his desk, "Well, let me know if you need any help."

"Sure thing, Clark."


	2. Chapter 2: Reflections

**Chapter 2: Reflections**

_The room was entirely dark and cold. Lois blinked her eyes, trying in vain to see. Suddenly, a bright beacon of harsh light hit her, blinding her. She quickly shielded her face with her forearm, now seeing blue and purple spots in her vision. Squinting against the light, she tried to make out the scene before it._

_She gasped, seeing the form of Superman, in a tangled heap on the ground. He seemed weakened somehow, and an expression of pain was written across his face. He was breathing hard, and from her position she could see him trembling._

_A man slowly approached Superman's limp form. Lois tried to see his face, but it was obscured by the shadow. All she knew was that his presence made her feel cold. She shuddered._

_Without a word, the man raised his arm and she could see the burning, green glint of Kryptonite in his hand. _

_Superman raised his head, but instead of looking up at his assailant he turned his gaze to her. His piercing blue eyes captured her with such an intense look of sadness and regret that she forgot to breathe._

_The man's voice was cold and menacing,"Good bye… Superman."_

_With that, he stabbed downwards with the Kryptonite dagger…_

"NO!" The words came tumbling out of her mouth in her state of panic, and she startled herself awake, nearly knocking all the papers from her desk onto the ground. Her heart was pounding quickly in her chest and her breathing was heavy.

Someone had rushed to stand next to her now, and she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. But she couldn't get the image of Superman's crumpled form out of her head or the menacing sound of the man's voice out of her ears. When she closed her eyes, all she could see were those intense, sorrowful blue eyes...

"Lois, you all right?"

Startled by the voice, she turned her head quickly to come face to face with another pair of blue eyes, these were filled with worry. "Superman…" She breathed out with a tone of recognition.

The eyes widened for a second before she realized that they were hidden behind a pair of thick glasses. Suddenly realizing where she was, she blinked a few times and shook her head. When her gaze had refocused, she saw before her Clark Kent, with a very puzzled expression on his face.

"Clark!" She recovered quickly, "Wow, I'm sorry. I don't know what just happened…"

"Lois, are you all right? You just yelled out in your sleep, and you're trembling." There was a tone of genuine concern in Clark's voice.

She looked down at her hands to find that he was right, her fingers were shaking uncontrollably and she had to breathe in deeply a few more times before she could find her voice.

"I'm fine… I must've been having a nightmare." She shook her head to try and clear her mind, "I guess I've had a few too many late nights." She tried to sound as put-together as possible.

"Yeah." Now that he had confirmed she was fine, he stepped back from her a little bit, removing his hand from her shoulder. "You've had a rough couple of days… with everything that happened." He shifted his eyes to the ground, seeming uncomfortable to bring up the events of the past week. "I'm sorry, Lois. I should've been more considerate last night and told you to go home and sleep."

"What time is it, anyway?" She asked her eyes darting around to find the nearest clock.

"It's about 8… you fell asleep at your desk around 3am. You looked pretty tired, so I felt bad waking you…" He replied, his worried gaze returned to her. _Good old Clark, always watching out for his friends_.

"8:00…" She quickly looked around her desk at the collection of papers that were strewn across the top. "Oh no! I'm not going to have anything to show Perry…"

"Don't worry about it." He threw her a quirky smile. "I stayed up a little later and whipped up a quick article about the aftermath of the Metropolis earthquakes. It'll be on Perry's desk by 9am, and we can say we worked on it together."

She let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, Clark…" She felt bad for taking credit for an article she didn't actually help to write.

As if reading her thoughts, he quickly added. "I owe you one, anyways. For last week, when you covered for me while I was running errands." He grinned, "We're even now."

She couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Clark. You're a life-saver."

He smiled back at her, and she was struck by how content he seemed at that moment. _Does he always look like that when he smiles?_ As if to interrupt her train of thought, her stomach gurgled hungrily. She ducked her head in embarrassment, "Sorry, I guess I'm kind of hungry."

Clark's eyes seemed to light up, "You want to go for some breakfast? We've got some time to kill before everyone else start getting in…"

Amused by his eagerness, she nodded. "Sure, but we better not be gone for too long. Perry's bound to want a staff meeting first thing in the morning."

"Don't worry," He smiled at her, "We won't be."

* * *

The café around the corner was a popular haunt for the Daily Planet employees. Aptly named _Hot Off the Press_, it provided a comfortable meal and a strong cup of coffee for the reporter in search of a break.

The street was beginning to become congested with morning traffic as Lois and Clark made their way down the sidewalk towards the restaurant.

Clark walked a little behind Lois, watching her with his observant eyes. It had become a habit now. The watching. He knew that Clark Kent wasn't a big part of Lois' life. Clark Kent was an acquaintance, maybe even a work friend if he was lucky. Nothing more. But that didn't stop him from constantly watching out for her. It was the least he could do to keep her in his life… his real life, not the one that was splattered all over the news channels and papers. The one that he lived quietly, as a young reporter for a big newspaper.

Something had changed about her. He had known that immediately the first time he had seen her again, after their fives years of separation. On the outside, she was still the same hard-headed, ambitious reporter who would risk anything for a good story. But, he knew, that something within her had changed. The burden and responsibility of motherhood had made her both more mature, and more fatigued. She wasn't as carefree as she used to be, she couldn't afford to be… not with Jason to think about. But, something else was different to. The stiff way she carried herself, the forced tone in her voice, the dull sheen in her eyes. She was… not happy. Not sad, but… not happy. She lived her life as a woman who had once dreamed of a fairy tale, but ended up settling for reality. She kept her days busy with work, and her nights occupied with Jason. She didn't give herself any free time, and didn't give others enough time to really know her. Even Richard, who Clark presumed was the closest person to her now in her life, had said _No matter how close we are, that woman will always be a mystery to me._ Why was she hiding away from the world?

It had been selfish of him, but he had been glad that Lois had come to the Planet last night. Since his return to Earth, Clark had had very little time to spend with Lois alone. But, last night, he had been able to have her all to himself.

They had existed in a quiet harmony, falling into their familiar rhythm of work. The only sound had been the quiet clicking of keys on the computer, and the gentle hum of the overhead lights. It had been a rare, peaceful night; and, selfish as it was of him, he was glad that he hadn't had to spend it alone. When she had fallen asleep at her desk, she had looked so peaceful. All the worry had relaxed from her face, and she had seemed so… innocent. He had wanted to scoop her up in his arms, and hold her close. Anything to shield her from the pain of living her everyday life.

_Which, you are not helping…_ He reminded himself solemnly. It was true, having Superman back in her life was difficult for her. He could see the inner turmoil every time she talked about Superman. It made her life hectic. He was like a sore that stuck out in her otherwise perfect life, reminding her of a past that she had long since forgotten.

She deserved to be happy. Before Superman came back, she had made a wonderful life for herself. She had a loving fiancé and a beautiful son. Her career was taking off with her Pulitzer-winning article, and she was beginning to make a real name for herself in the reporting world.

_Where do I fit in?_

He knew that he couldn't interfere with her life. She didn't deserve all of the emotional turmoil and the stress. As much as Superman… as much as _he_ wanted to be a part of her life, he knew that he couldn't be. He wasn't human. He would _never_ be human. And as long as the world needed Superman, he could never belong to anyone else. That was the burden that he carried. It was the one that he had taken on the very first time he had decided to put on that red, blue and yellow suit.

Clark sighed heavily, lost in his thoughts. Watching Lois' small form, walking confidently down the sidewalk, he felt that familiar yearning that he always felt when he was around her. Was it too much to ask that he be allowed some happiness in his life?

As if sensing his gaze, Lois paused and turned around to wait for him. "Why so sluggish, Smallville?"

"Oh, sorry." He replied quickly as he took a few extra long steps to catch up with her. "Was thinking about some stuff…" He took a quick breath and changed the subject. "Hey, did you know that it takes about 63,000 trees to print a Sunday issue of the Planet? We should seriously consider switching to an entirely e-newspaper or something…"

She held back a laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "That's the farmboy in you speaking, Clark." She motioned to the buildings that surrounded them. "Welcome to the big city, where we love to waste!"

He raised an eyebrow, about to protest and explain the importance of recycling for sustaining the Earth's delicate ecology. But she cut him off by grabbing his hand hurrying him along towards the café. "Come on, Clark. Let's get some coffee first and then we can talk about how you're going to save the Earth."

He smirked ironically to himself as he let himself be dragged towards the café. _You don't know the half of it…_

* * *

Lois let herself sink into the comfortable softness of the booth, reveling in the fresh smell of the coffee sitting before her. There was nothing as comforting as a nice warm cup of joe in the morning, and on a morning like this one – she was definitely going to need it.

She looked across the booth at Clark, who was busily stirring some sugar into his coffee. He was sharing some sort of obscure fact about the origins of sugar cane, but she had long since tuned him out. She allowed herself a small smile as she watched him trace circles around in his cup with his spoon.

There was something endearing about Clark's mannerisms. Sure, he was clumsy and sometimes a little awkward… but there was also something very charming about him. He always seemed to have such a positive outlook on life. She'd never seen Clark Kent angry before. He rarely complained about anything, keeping mostly to himself. As far as she knew, he didn't seem to have a very complicated life.

She cocked her head to one side and examined his features. He wasn't bad looking either. In fact, she would say that he was rather handsome… in his own little Clark way.

She was torn from her thoughts as her coat pocket started to ring. Clark stopped in mid-sentence, as she plucked her cell phone from its hiding place. "Hello?"

"Lois…"

"Richard!" She sat up straight in her seat, looked at her watch: 8:30am. She had totally forgotten to tell him where she was. He had already been asleep last night when she had left the house, and it hadn't occurred to her then to leave him a note.

"Where are you?" His voice sounded worried on the other side of the line, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She looked across to the table to find Clark staring at her with a somewhat intense gaze. She threw him an apologetic look and mouthed the word "Sorry." He smiled goofily and waved his hand to indicate that it was OK. "I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't leave a note for you… I left for work a little early this morning, I wanted to get something done to put on Perry's desk by 9am." _That's not really a lie._

Clark raised an eyebrow.

She ignored it.

"That's fine, I figured you must've gone into the office. I'm going to drop Jason off at school and then I'll head over to the Planet." Richard sounded less worried now. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah…" She replied, "talk to you later."

"All right, love you."

She paused. The words were on her lips, but for some reason she was having a hard time saying them. "… love you too." She finally managed to get out before she hung up and returned the phone to her pocket.

There was a moment of silence at the table, and she could sense that Clark was uncomfortable. But thankfully, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he began his explanation about the tropical climate in which sugar cane was normally grown.

Half-listening to Clark talk, Lois sipped slowly at her coffee, enjoying its warmth as it seeped down her throat and filled her body with energy. When was the last time she had taken the time to really enjoy a cup of coffee? She grimaced to herself, certainly not since Superman had returned.

When did everything become so complicated? She couldn't help but feel a little guilty that she had lied to Richard. It was a little white lie, but it still made her feel… dishonest. But what was she supposed to say? _I came to the office last night to work on my article, because I didn't want to get in bed with you while thinking about Superman?_ No… clearly that wouldn't have worked.

Richard was a good man. He was kind and understanding, an amazing reporter and a wonderful father to Jason. He was every bit the perfect man that she had always wanted… so why did she feel like there was something missing? _Because he's not Superman_. Lois scowled and silently cursed herself for making that comparison. How could she? It wasn't fair to Richard. He had done nothing wrong…

But how could she deny her feelings for Superman? He had come shooting back into her life and she had been drawn to him like a magnet. She and Superman – they had such a chemistry… such a history… and now, a son?

She shook her head. Even reaching into the deepest, darkest parts of her memory, she couldn't conjure up how it was that Jason could be Superman's son. But it was undeniable. The way that he had paled at the sight of the Kryptonite, the strength that he had found to throw that piano… she would have to be blind and on another planet to deny Jason's true paternity. But where did that leave her?

How could she raise a son with a man that she barely knew? And how could she tell Richard, a man who had done nothing but be a loving and supportive father, that his only son wasn't his? Would she have to live the rest of her life as a lie? Unbidden, she felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. _No, not now_. She warned herself. This was the last place on Earth that she wanted to be having a nervous breakdown.

"Lois… are you all right?" There was such a tone of compassion in Clark's voice. It was almost as if he could read her mind and understand the confusion that was going on inside her head.

She blinked quickly to force the tears away and pasted a passable smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

She looked at her colleague, sitting across the booth from her. The expression on his face told her that he didn't believe her answer. The worry in his eyes was genuine, and she almost felt the urge to spill out all of her problems to him right there. God knew that she needed someone to talk to, someone to tell her that everything was going to be OK. But she didn't. She couldn't. Part of being entangled in this ugly mess was the fact that she would never be able to talk to anyone about it…

"Maybe we should get back?" She asked, hoping to break the awkwardness.

There was a slight look of disappointment on his face, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he quickly finished the last of her coffee and replied, "Uh… yeah, sure."

Lois began to fish into her purse for her wallet but he had already put a few bills on the table.

"Don't worry about it, Lois. This one's on me."

She threw him a grateful look as she slid out of the booth. "Thanks, Clark."

* * *

The bullpen was full of life and energy by the time the two reporters got back to the office. Lois wove her way through the crowd, making her way back to her desk. Behind her, she could hear the familiar sounds of "sorry", "oops", and "excuse me" as Clark tried to do the same.

Finally reaching her workspace, she quickly looked at the clock. 9:00am…

"Lane, Kent, Olsen!" As if by clockwork, Perry's voice was heard over the noisy din of the newsroom. "My office. Let's go!"

Grabbing the closest notebook and pen, she hurriedly walked towards the Editor-in-Chief's office.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jimmy Olsen doing the same, nearly bowling over the copyboy as he went by. Clark had finally reached his desk, but seemed entranced by something on the TV sceen.

"… still trying to determine the whereabouts of Lex Luthor." She caught the end of the news broadcast as she walked by. "Some reports have claimed that the Luthor helicopter has been spotted on a remote island in the Atlantic, though these results are still unconfirmed. Metropolis officials…"

"Let's go, Smallville." She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention as she continued on her way to the office.

"Huh?... yeah, oh. Coming!" He heard Clark spluttering behind her as she walked through the double glass doors.

Perry and Jimmy were hunched over the chief's broad desk, looking at some proofs that Jimmy had taken. The white-haired man didn't even look up when Lois and Clark entered. "Lane, Kent, come and take a look at these. What do you think?"

Lois quickly walked to stand next to Perry, squinting at the pictures to assess them. They were pictures that Jimmy had taken during the Metropolis earthquake. There was one of the Daily Planet globe tumbling down towards the panic-stricken reporters below. The next one was of Superman, the globe on his back, gently pushing it off to one side. Next to that was a picture taken outside of the Metropolis General Hospital, where masses of people had gathered with signs reading "Get Well, Superman!" and "We Love Superman!"

"They look good to me." Lois tried to sound nonchalant, though she was having trouble not staring at the picture of Superman in front of the Daily Planet._ So strong…_

"Better than good!" Perry stabbed his finger into the middle of Superman's chest. "Superman and the Daily Planet: Helping a friend in need. It's got a nice ring to it."

Clark, who was standing behind Lois, peering over her shoulder, pointed at the picture taken in front of the hospital. "Wow, I didn't realize there was such a big rally in front of the hospital."

Perry raised an eyebrow. "Of course there was! Where've you been, Kent? Under a rock? They treated him like a celebrity, candlelight vigils and everything. And you know the only civilian they let inside to see him…?" He clapped a hand on Lois' back, "our very own Lois Lane."

Clark shifted his gaze to Lois, a grateful look in his eyes.

"How'd he look to you, Lois?" Perry asked, unaware of Clark's reaction.

She hesitated before answering. "Fine." Her voice was small and timid.

"I'm sure he did!" Perry continued, "I got a call last night from my contacts at the hospital saying that Superman had checked out without checking in with the staff. We're already running that 'Superman Lives!' piece today on the front page… but I want to have the first Superman exclusive after his recovery." Perry looked at Lois meaningfully.

"But Chief…" she tried to object.

"Kent," Perry had already moved on, "What've you got?"

Clark seemed surprised at the rapid transition and took a moment. "Uh…" he adjusted the glasses on his nose, before hastily offering an article in his outstretched hand. "Lois and I put this piece together."

Perry took it quickly and began skimming it, his keen eyes darting over the page.

"It covers the extent of the damage that Metropolis incurred during the earthquake." Clark explained, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "There are a few quotes from the Fire and Police Departments, detailing their recovery efforts. I made a call into the Mayor's office as well, to try and get a quote – he wasn't available to comment."

Perry nodded his head. "Fine." He tossed the article onto his desk, "Give the Mayor another try, get a quote, and we'll run this in tomorrow's edition."

He put his hands in his pockets. "Our big story right now is Superman's recovery. I already got a memo this morning saying that Metropolis officials are calling for his help to try and find Lex Luthor."

"I'll bet Big Blue's just itching to his hands on Luthor." Jimmy piped up, "I heard that Luthor actually left a mark this time. Stabbed him with some Kryptonite – they had to get the last of it out of him at the hospital before he could make a recovery."

"Good! The messier the better." Perry nodded. "Kent, I want you to find out all the details of what happened between Superman and Luthor. Talk to the officials, talk to the doctors, sleep with some nurses if you have to."

Clark made a gagging sound at this.

Perry continued, never missing a beat. "Let's find out just how invincible Superman is." Then, as if remembering something, he whirled to look at Lois. "Do you know anything about this?"

Lois' mouth flapped open and then closed as she fished for a proper response.

"Kent, get the details from Lois on this one. Let's see if we can use the public's Superman sympathy to our advantage." Perry put his own interpretation on Lois' failure to respond.

"Olsen, I want pictures. Go to the police station, see if you can get a good shot of Superman working with the officials." He pondered for a second, "Let's dig through the archives and see if we can find a decent picture of Luthor to run beside it."

"Got it, Chief." Jimmy shifted the camera around his neck.

"All right. Let's get moving, folks. The news isn't going to write itself." He pointed at Lois, "Lois: Superman." He moved onto to Clark, "Kent: Luthor." He put his hands on his hips, "Let's milk this story for all it's got."


	3. Chapter 3: Encounters

**Chapter Three: Encounters**

Clark made his way back to his desk, barely paying attention to what was going on around him. Perry wanted a good story, and Clark had his work cut out for him. But the first order of business on his mind was finding Luthor.

The last Clark had seen of him, Luthor had been on the island that people had termed New Krypton – though that was hardly an appropriate name for the horrid mass of dead rock and dirt that had nearly killed him. Clark shuddered as he recalled the sickeningly joyous look on Luthor's face as he tortured Superman. There was nothing good inside of that man, just pure evil. As far as Clark could tell, Luthor was bordering on insane – conjuring up ideas that he believed would somehow make him rich, and reveling in the pain of the people that he hurt in the process. There was no reasoning with a man like Luthor; he had given up his ability to care, to love, to live... for the seductive taste of power and wealth.

Though Clark hadn't seen him leave, he had no doubt that Luthor had made it off of New Krypton alive. Lex Luthor would not be so easily gotten rid of. No, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Luthor found a way to get back into the public spotlight. The man craved fame and notoriety, he reveled in other people's fear and loathing of him. He loved it... and such an addiction would not be so easily satiated. If Clark didn't do something about him now, he knew Luthor would find a way to seep back into his life.

Clark made his way towards the elevator, being careful to avoid people on his way out. He waited patiently for an empty car to come, and then got in nonchalantly – randomly choosing a floor on the button panel before him. Even as the doors began to close, he removed his glasses and stored them away in his pocket. Stripping away his dress shirt to reveal the familiar yellow and red S beneath, he sprung into the air, letting his natural ability for anti-gravity take over.

Before long, he was shooting into the sky above the Daily Planet and he could smell the cold, fresh air that only existed at this altitude above the city. The rays of the morning sun bathed his body and he could feel its warmth, seeping into his muscles and wrapping him in heat. He felt a surge of strength as the yellow sun rejuvenated his tired body. He opened his eyes, letting himself enjoy the freedom of flying for a second, before looking down at the city below.

This was his first daytime flight over the city since the earthquake, and what he saw devastated him. All around him, he could see the signs of the damage that it had caused. Some buildings had collapsed and others were lopsided or falling apart. Even the Daily Planet, usually a landmark in the Metropolis skyline, looked naked and beaten without the familiar globe adorning its roof. He knew that the coming weeks were going to be tough for Metropolis, as it slowly made it recovery from the devastation.

Superman closed his eyes, swallowing as he recalled the panic and pain that had been around him that day. Everyone had been screaming, and the fear was palpable as he had flown through the city. He could feel everyone's pain, everyone's sorrow, and the grip of terror that had taken over the city had almost incapacitated him. He had done everything he could to soften the blow, using every one of his powers to its fullest extent to try and prevent the worst from happening. But he knew that no matter how hard he had tried, it still hadn't been enough. He knew that innocent people must've gotten hurt – the people that he couldn't save. He shook his head... all because of Luthor's selfishness.

A cold anger had settled in his heart now as he thought about Luthor. How many lives had Luthor destroyed with his single, childish act? How many families were torn apart at the orders of a madman?

Now like a bullet shooting through the air, Superman found his way to the Metropolis police station. It was going to be up to him to find Luthor and stop him, hopefully this time for good.

* * *

"Hey, Jimmy!" Lois ran after the young photographer, grabbing her coat and purse off her chair as she passed her desk, "Wait up!"

Jimmy stopped in midstep and turned around to see her, a questioning look on his face.

"You going to the police station?" Lois paused, catching her breath as the two of them continued on the way to the elevator.

Jimmy nodded, "Yeah, gotta get those pictures for Chief." He winked, "You wanna come along? I'm hoping Superman's gonna show..."

"Yeah, well, you heard Chief. I'm supposed to get another interview." Lois replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Jimmy grinned but didn't say anything as they two waited for the elevator to come.

Lois tapped her foot in anticipation. A bout of nervousness had come over her and she was feeling suddenly anxious to get to the police station. _Why? Just so you can see him?_ The voice inside her mind chided her. She scowled to herself... it was true, she wanted to see him. The small glimpse that she got of him the night before was not enough to fully convince her that he was OK. _Don't worry about him. He's a big boy, he can take care of himself._ But there was a yearning in her heart to see his face – he always made her feel... safe.

The elevator dinged and Lois tightened her grasp on her purse as she waited for its passengers to get off.

"Lois!"

She lifted her head quickly at the sound of the familiar voice. Blinking, she saw the figure of her fiancé standing in front of her as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Richard!" She stuttered, already halfway inside the car.

He raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"Ah...the police station... with Jimmy." She cocked her head towards the young photographer who had already stepped inside. "Gotta get some interviews."

He nodded. "Maybe we can meet up for lunch?" He asked, as the elevator doors started to shut.

"Sure." She agreed, almost as a reflex. She watched as his face slowly disappeared and was covered by the closing elevator, leaving her staring at her own distorted reflection in its metallic bronze doors.

The cab ride over to the police station took forever. With all the damage that the city had endured, many of the streets were completely blocked off for repairwork – making for lengthy detours and a bumpy ride. When they were finally within a few blocks from the station, Lois looked over at Jimmy.

"Let's walk the rest of the way." She suggested. "This is going to take forever."

Jimmy agreed with an emphatic nod. He grabbed his camera bag and handed some bills to the driver as they exited the cab and got onto the sidewalk. The two started to walk at a brisk pace towards the Metropolis Police Station.

As they neared the station, they saw that a crowd of reporters and few camera crews had already gathered outside. _Damn it, looks like the Daily Planet isn't the only one that got the memo_. Lois cursed.

"Come on, Jimmy." She grabbed his arm as they approached the crowd.

If there was one thing that Lois Lane was good at, it was being a journalist. And no matter how hectic her personal life could get, it wasn't going to get in the way of a good story.

Skirting her way around the edge of the crowd, she found a small opening between the station doors and the front edge of the barrier. She tapped the shoulder of the man standing in front of her, throwing him a charming smile and a shrug as he turned to look at her – allowing her just enough space to slip past him. She turned herself sideways and carefully edged her way through the crowd. Careful not to bump into anyone, she soon found herself at the very front of the press area. _I've still got it_. She smirked to herself.

"Lois!" Jimmy was trying to make his way through with less success. He squeezed his way through the crowd, burrowing with his shoulders while hunched over his camera protectively. With a final "oomph" he managed to find himself an empty spot next to her, a column of disheveled and annoyed reporters behind him, marking his path.

The front doors of the Metropolis Police Station burst open as the Police Chief stepped through, followed gracefully by the tall, unmistakable form of Superman.

Next to her, she could hear Jimmy already clicking away, the huge lens lifted to his face. All around her, she could hear the shouts of "Superman!" as various journalists tried to get his attention.

He seemed very calm and charismatic as usual, unfazed by the flashing lights or the adoring attention. Lois couldn't help but feel the familiar butterflies in her stomach that she always got when he was around.

Superman raised his hand in the air, motioning for silence and the crowd immediately became hushed. He threw on a subtle, but reassuring smile as he said. "I have just finished speaking with Metropolis Police Chief Davis. I am more than happy to help his office in their efforts to recover Lex Luthor. With our combined efforts, along with the aid of the many hardworking and brave officers of Metropolis, it will only be a matter of time before we find Luthor, and bring him to justice."

Superman turned to the white-haired police chief standing next to him, and shook his hand firmly. Jimmy's camera was going crazy as the photographer captured every moment with a frame.

A dozen hands shot up as the reporters started again in their frenzy. Not to be outdone, Lois also raised her hand up quickly, waving her wrist in the air to get his attention. Very subtly, he looked over in her direction and she could tell that he had seen her. He raised an impeccable eyebrow ever so slightly. _Not here... _Then, he bent his knees before shooting up into the air, leaving a whoosh behind him.

Lois followed his form with her eyes, tilting her head back to watch him rise into the Metropolis skyline before he disappeared behind a building. A feeling of disappointment settled in her stomach, and she could feel a lump developing in her throat. It was irrational of her to think that he would always have the time to talk to her – he was a busy man, with a lot of people demanding his time. But there was so much that she needed to talk to him about... so many questions that she needed answered.

"All right!" Jimmy's excited voice brought her attention to the young man standing next to him. "The Chief's gonna love these." He was busily reviewing the pictures he had taken on the camera's LCD display. He looked up at her, "I'm gonna head back to the Planet and get to work on these." He held up his camera.

Lois smiled. "Sounds good. I think I'll stay a little longer," she tilted her head towards the doors of the station, "see if I can snatch a few people for interviews."

Jimmy grinned, "Sure thing, Miss Lane." He shouldered his camera bag. "See you back at the office."

Lois smiled back, waving as she turned around and made her way towards the police station doors. She walked past dozens of other reporters and their camera crews who were busily packing up. Reaching the entrance to the station, she extended her hand out towards the door... and stopped. _Don't be silly, Lois. _She chided herself. _Get to work, you've got a story to chase!_ But a purely irrational idea had taken over her common sense, and she slowly stepped back away from the door.

Stealing a look around her to see if any had noticed her hesitation, she quickly continued down the sidewalk towards the next building over. She tried to seem casual as she mixed herself in amongst the constant stream of businesspeople that were coming in and out of the revolving door. As she entered the building, she made a beeline towards the elevator. All the while, the voice in her head was yelling at her. _This is ridiculous!_

Lois waited impatiently as the elevator made its slow ascent upwards. She let out a deep breath, but she couldn't stop herself from fidgeting. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to make all the stops that it needed, pausing at almost every floor to either let a passenger off or pick another one up.

The car made a final stop on the 27th floor, and the few people that were still left inside stepped off briskly, going about their daily business as usual. Holding her breath, Lois waited until the doors closed again before quickly punching the button for the topmost floor.

A mild _ding_ informed her that she had reached her destination, and she found herself stepping out into the reception area of a realty company. The secretary at the polished black desk in front of her gave her an expectant glance, but Lois ignored it. Instead, she walked briskly towards the door marked "Stairs."

One flight of steps later and Lois Lane, journalist extraordinaire, finally found herself in front of a door marked "Roof Access." She blinked, reading the letters before her. _What am I doing?_ But she had already come this far. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she pushed the door open and let herself out into the warm mid-morning air.

The rooftop was desolate, save for a few areas where there were clustered many pipes and vents. Lois walked slowly out into the middle of the space, her heels making a loud click on the smooth concrete with every step she took.

_Now what?_

She shook her head. What had she been hoping for? A part of her had almost expected to have opened the door and to see Superman already there, waiting for her to arrive. _Yeah... right._

She let out a sigh of disbelief, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "You've really lost it this time, Lane." She scolded herself out loud.

She rubbed her temples, still in shock at her own irrational decision. Taking in a deep breath, she clenched her fists and pivoted on her feet, determined to make her way back to the police station as gracefully as possible to get back to work. All the while, she muttered "Stupid, stupid, stupid..." under her breath.

"What's stupid?"

Lois froze, the sound of his familiar voice causing her breath to catch momentarily. _Oh god._ Very slowly, she turned herself around again. Her eyes glued to the ground, she caught the sight of a pair of very familiar red boots.

Forcing herself to raise her gaze, she panned up his iconic form, past the blazing yellow and red 'S' on his chest and settling on the face of Superman.

There was a slightly amused look on his face. "Are you all right?" He asked soothingly.

She found herself fumbling desperately for words, but all that came out was a soft "uh."

With careful and deliberate strides, he approached her, never taking his intense gaze off of her. As he got closer, she could feel her whole body start to tingle – but she was glued to the ground.

He stopped in front of her, less than an arm's length away. The amusement in his eyes had given way to a more serious expression. His voice was much softer now, more... intimate. "Lois?"

She blinked. "Superman." She breathed his name.

He smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge you at the police station. There were too many other people around for us to... talk."

She nodded slowly. Almost unconsciously, she lifted her hand up. He didn't flinch or move at all as she reached out towards him, placing her palm flat against his chest. She spread her fingers over the emblazoned shield on his uniform, feeling its intricate texture. Beneath it, she could feel the steady, slow beat of his heart.

A wave of relief spread over her. In her head, she had always known that he was alive and OK – she had seen him last night, and just a few minutes ago at the police station. But now, feeling his warmth beneath her fingertips and the strong beat of his heart... She swallowed. Slowly, she lifted her eyes from his chest up to meet his face and found herself caught in the intensity of his gaze, swimming in his deep blue eyes.

"You're... alive." She whispered, feeling unbidden tears spring to her eyes. "I...When I saw you, at the hospital..." She couldn't find the right words to say. "I saw you at the hospital..."

"I know." The statement was very simple, but it was filled with meaning. There was a look of understanding in his gaze.

She blinked and felt a single, warm tear roll down her cheek.

Gently, he cupped her face in his hand and brushed it away. "I'm sorry, Lois." His voice was soft, "I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused you. If I had known about..." He hesitated, "about Jason. I never would have left."

She nodded, reluctantly taking a few steps back to break the contact between them, though their eyes were still locked. "I didn't know." She stated simply, "I didn't know that he was your son until we got caught on Luthor's boat." She shuddered, closing her eyes and remembering the haunting sound of _Heart and Soul_, the cold grip of fear as she watched her son, the dissonant silence of a shattered piano. She opened her eyes again and saw him standing before her. "I don't even remember how..."

A look of deep regret and shame flitted across his usually placid expression, but he didn't say anything.

Slowly, she took a deep breath and she felt the rest of her body coming to its senses. She pursed her lips, "How's this going to work...?"

He looked at her and she could tell that he felt as lost as she did. "I don't know." His reply was honest.

Lois looked at Superman – and for a second, she caught a glimpse of someone else. She saw a man, not a superhero. A man who struggled with his life, his emotions, his loneliness, just as much as anyone else. He was no more invincible to sorrow than the next guy, and though his body was impervious, his heart was not.

The harsh and unwelcome sound of her cell phone broke the silence. Even as she fished through her coat pocket to find it, she saw his Superman composure return – and he was locked off to her, once again.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey, hon." It was Richard. "I was wondering whether you wanted to do lunch? Jimmy got back a little while ago and he told me you were still at the station."

"Uh... yeah." She fumbled for a coherent answer.

"All right, well I've got a little bit of a break right now. If you're almost finished, I'll come and meet you at the station?"

"Sure."

"OK, I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Bye." She answered quietly, hanging up and returning her phone to her pocket. She looked at Superman. "That was..."

"Richard." He finished her sentence for her.

She bit her lip. _Why does this have to be so complicated?_ "I should go."

He nodded, already starting to float up into the air.

She watched him rise up, the feeling of emptiness already settling in her stomach. _When will I see you again?_ She furrowed her eyebrows and reached out her hand, "Wait..."

He paused in his ascent, a sad smile crossed his lips. "Don't worry, Lois. I'm always around."

With that, he turned, one arm extended before him and eyes already looking to the sky. Before Lois could blink, he had already disappeared.

* * *

He needed to get away. He didn't know where to, but he just needed to get away from Metropolis and its constant mayhem. With a gentle tilt of his body, Superman turned his flight path away from the skyline before him and jetted outwards towards the silent Atlantic.

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought about his encounter with Lois. The gentle way that she had touched him, almost as if she was afraid that he wasn't real. The single tear that she had cried for him... It had taken all of his self-control to keep himself from scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight. What he wouldn't have given to feel her warmth next to his own for just one second.

But the reality was, it couldn't happen that way. It would never happen that way. Even as they had spoken, they had been harshly reminded of just how complicated and hopeless their situation was. She was _engaged_. And Richard was a good man.

He closed his eyes and remembered the look that was on her face as she tried to explain Jason's parentage. _I don't even remember how... _She had said to him, with a kind of expectationin her voice. And he knew that she had wanted him to explain.

_But how?_ It wasn't so simple. How could he tell her about the time that they had shared? That one precious night when he had given up everything to be with her and he had finally let her see him for who he really was – not Clark Kent, not Superman, but just... Clark. It had been the happiest night of his life and he had allowed himself, for once, to be content. At the time, he had thought that it would last forever – but it didn't, it couldn't. All too quickly they had been torn from their blissful tryst and thrust back into reality. The world needed a Superman and it was his responsibility, his duty, to protect it.

Clark remembered the look on Lois' face when all the chaos had finally been resolved. She had pierced him straight to his core with her sorrowful eyes and her silent tears. He had seen the struggle within her, seen how much it hurt her to watch him live his double life. _I'd be jealous._ She had said in such a matter-of-fact voice, _Jealous of all humanity... some rival, huh?_ There had been a bitterness in her eyes. And he knew what he had to do. As much as it had killed him to do it, he knew that he couldn't let her live with the burden that he had been forced to carry.

He had kissed her. And in that final kiss, he had poured all of his love and every last drop of his human emotion to let her feel how much he cared for her... and he had taken her memory, leaving her in peace.

The cold Atlantic air whipped at his cape and battered his face, preventing any tears from building in his eyes, as he flew on, his speed now increasing. He raced over the waves breathing in the salty smell of the seawater, trying to forget the pain that had now built deep in his chest.

Below him, he watched the tides go by, their procession towards the shore marked by thin white lines in the otherwise deep blue sea. As he passed over the small islands that dotted the ocean's surface, he came to a jolting halt.

Letting himself float down closer to the island's surface, he could distinctly see the shape of an abandoned helicopter. He used his perfect vision to read the words on the side and felt a chill run up the back of his spine.

_Luthor Inc._


End file.
